Monday, March 31, 2008

Ah, New Jersey



It was tough to come back from my home state last night...and it was a miserable day here weather-wise and work-wise. The kids were fine, but I'm having a tough time with the bureaucratic end of my job. Special ed. is frought with legal requirements and it's all about the right language on the paperwork. Freezing rain all day, and as I was trapped in my windowless closet all I could think about was the icy rain and the lambs shivering in it. I closed the pen door before I left for work to keep the bottle babies out of the rain. They don't have moms to tell them "it's time to come in now," and might linger too long at the round bales and get chilled. I kept thinking about the absolutely wonderful fantasy 24 hours I had with Mia in Morristown - visiting her friend, Lisa, who she's known since kindergarten and her mother. I had recently watched Gwyneth Paltrow in "Emma" again and was longing for some female tea party company. Matt is so deaf after a lifetime of construction work (just like old Mrs. Bates) I have to scream for him to hear me, then he's insulted that I am shouting at him. At Lisa's house it was just happy chatter, chatter, chatter with more high school friends, Laura and Tori, stopping in. Then it was off to Mia's apt. where Monika and Tim were waiting to meet me, and a comfy sofa to curl up in with knitting and movies - and my Mia. The flowers are blooming in Morristown, crocuses up, but no forsythia yet. In a week the ornamental pears and cherry trees will be out in Morristown, lining the whole main street. They are gorgeous against all the stone buildings and gothic churches. I am so homesick for my home town I don't know what to do. Mia will be setting up her Nurse Practitioner practice there and will undoubtedley stay for a long time. I'm sure I will be spending more time in New Jersey...I better go hug some lambs quick or I will start packing.

1 comment:

Kathleen said...

Oh maggie, I know how you feel. Sometimes I am so homesick for my little house in Cheyenne, for the farm, for the WIND and the dirt and the space to walk and run and breathe without a person coming up behind or next to me, without cars passing by every minute of the day.

And then sometimes I am completely content to be where I am, doing what I do. If I try really hard, I can think of all kinds of things here that can make me crazy or unhappy. But there is also so much good in my life.

You have a lot of good in your life, too. Look! We are both living the dreams we set before ourselves. It's been hard at times, but we're doing so well!